Could you please remove or improve electric boiler? I just tested the heck out of the thing, and I'm at a loss for what the point of it is. A normal Boiler I set up can run two steam engines and have a little steam left over. An electric boiler not only puts out just a tiny bit less steam than a steam engine needs to run, but requires ALL of the electrical output of a steam engine to do it. I mean, I get it. You're wanting to avoid the 'infinite power' loop that essentially creates something from nothing. I get it. But if that's the case, why is the electric boiler available before the vanilla boiler? As I've just pointed out, it's not a viable alternative to one for steam generation for steam engines. If it were something added to stream line steam production for, say, a nuclear reactor, then why on earth isn't it attached to that way down the tech tree line? As it is now, most people are going to waste their time like I did trying to figure out why the electric boiler isn't working for them as an alternative to the boiler at early game? It might help if there's a hint maybe... Like something that says the efficiency of the electric boiler is 20% or something (it's definitely less than 25% since the base boiler supports 2+ steam engines, yet the electric boiler can't even support 1)

The efficiency of the electric boiler is 100%. Its purpose is to provide an alternate source of steam for any recipe that requires it, such as coal liquefaction in the base game.

Then why is it available from the very beginning without even needing research to unlock? And you didn't cover any of the other issues I mentioned. Your boiler may be "100% efficient", but 100% of a whole that is less than 25% capacity of the very first boiler you get in the base game is still really bad.

Because it is, and I don't know where in the tech tree any potential steam-using recipes are going to be added by other mods.

The base game's boiler burns fuel at a rate of 1.8 MW, producing enough steam to run two 900 kW steam engines. The electric boiler consumes power at a rate of 900 kW, producing enough steam to run a 900 kW engine.

It can be used to turn excess power back into steam, which can be stored in tanks instead of accumulators. Gives your solar panels something to do if you don't have accumulators yet or find them cumbersome.

I know is old topic, but this is example of using electric boilers:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/06731caw6x8gtm6/electric%20boilers.png?dl=0https://www.dropbox.com/s/06731caw6x8gtm6/electric%20boilers.png?dl=0
(to author - you can use this picture on mod page)

Thanks!

I've checked it, but it's still useless. The solar panels give electricity and the same do steam engines, but electric boilers are only a waste of that energy with only 2 tanks.
To be honest your configuration is pointless until you dont add a lot more storage tanks.
Your boilers dont produce electricity at night, then you have to reduce a bit the steam engine for let boilers produce steam daytime collecting energy from solar panels and using that steam nighttime when the sun is off.
You have to use a fully functional circuit network with combinator and similar or separate the energy lines for induce solar panel energy feed only boilers and avoiding the same boilers to waste steam they produce using the energy from the engines.
This way you have an efficient use of electric boilers and you let them produce steam without damage to the main electricity production line.
Having boilers use engines energy is like have a dog that hunt it's tail. Lot of work, but without any benefit.
Try making 2 lines of boilers, one with electricity and one with fule, in 2 separated electrics connections, one that use energy from solar panels and one to give electricity to your factory. Thats, for me, is the only best solution you can have for electric boilers.
If you have a free image storing service I can try show you what I mean.
But, for avoid the waste of electricity, is best make boilers use 890 energy for create steam, because if you have boilers work in single line you will find them stop slowling working because the loss of steam. Tried it personally and it's pointless and inefficient have a line that solwly lose it's power...
I dont think that the 10 Kw produced will make it a valued "energy loop"... Too much work for almost nothing... It can barely let an inserter work, because an inserter use 13kW for fully do his job.

And, just my opinion, is more efficient to give steam at oil refineries using assembly machine 2 that unbarrel steam than having a boiler making it.
The 2 machines needed to barrel and umbarrel and the 4 fast inserters for let them work is lesser use of energy than a single boiler (155+155+46,7+46,7+46,7+46,7=496,8kw compared to the 900 kW of the boiler) and you can solve it moving all with well planned underground belts than underground pipes. Ok, you need few steel invested in barreling steam, but is it really a problem?
And you can insert efficiency modules in assembly machines, when you cannot do it in boilers... Another point for the barreling steam Vs electric boilers. With the modules you have inserters use more energy than the 2 machines...

Oh, before you tell, there is a mod that I hope will be soon updated to 0.18 that allow steam barreling, then I'm not talking about nothing.
I know that in the basic game steam cannot be stored in barrel, but after all your is a mod, then using another mod for supply a lack of yours is good enough.

Barreling steam instead of using electric boiler? That's dumb, and a waste of energy. You still need the steam from somewhere, might as well make it insitu with a boiler, whatever type. You still need 10 steam/s per machine, which will always cost you 300kW wherever you get your energy from. Using an electric boiler here just means your steam can use solar energy and have less logistics problems compared to burner boilers.

The only sane solution of sticking an electric boiler to a steam engine is when you're building a steam solar battery. Sticking them together in one single electric network does absolutely nothing, yes.

Solar give energy to electric boilers, then you link steam produced to the engine circuit without asking the steam engine the energy to produce steam. This way you convert the solar energy directly to steam without touching the energy standard production.
With few pumps you can feed the steam directly to the line without "absorbing" steam from it. Or, if there's a mod that allow this, use one side only tubes for move steam only in one direction, then vs the engines and not taking it from the engines.
If you've thougnt that i was thinking to produce steam wiuthout purpose of his use you're thinking I'm a total idiot and this is not the case...
You've for sure not got the point for barreling steam.
You can have excess steam production somewere and then you dont need to invest more energy to it saving electricity from engines production. And you can always add tanks for store steam when needed and use only stored for barreling.
Then there's no need for another boiler having you anyway steam somewere and add a production point is a little a waste...And, from the steam origin you can feed as needed using circuit network data and not continuous if not needed.
Just my thought, but it is not needed to be considered as a bible for everyone...

wow, you clearly did not look on that picture,
More storage and solar is needed but this was example (look up in dictionary if you have to).
Solar to boiler is separate electric grid. There is also simple circuit to belt that will not allow fuel (coal) to flow if there is steam - this way during day, all steam is done from solar via electric boilers and when steam is running low (night, over demand), fueled ones are being used.

Result: reduced (even to 0) use of fuel/pollutant with storage(steam tanks) and backup power while not using batteries.
And it works. And it's primary objective is to have ability to use solar generated power during night before you will have batteries.

Just to ask, but how can anyone read the belt settings if the entity is not open and on screen?

You can't but i think in this example is quite obvious - belt is stopped and connected to steam tank - so it's enabling based on steam level.
This is very common setup regardless of electric boiler so i did not described it.

Wasnt a better idea put a pump to work from combustible boilers when steam is low? this way you still have a good storage of steam ready to use and still produce electricity from solar panels fueled boilers. This way combustible boilers dont have to work until exausting fuel and boilers work only when needed.
Simpler and more efficient way to use logistic network...
On your configuration coal boilers go on working until coal is exausted in boilers and this cant be an efficient way, IMO.